Safe Haven
by Haitus80
Summary: After losing the farm the road has been long and cold. Winter is wearing them down. When they happen upon a cabin, the group is able to take a much needed break and as the night wears on, two people happen to find another kind of comfort in each other.


**I found this hiding in my documents. I had forgotten all about it and figured I should finish it up and share. They've changed so much that sometimes it's fun to go back and write them the way they were way back in the day. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!**

Night brought a new meaning to the word cold. All winter they had all done their share of complaining about the cold but it was when the dark took over that it honed that bitter edge that bordered on pain, like the winter itself were daring any of them to utter another word about the temperature. Some nights were spent on the frozen ground and on those nights even the blankets that had scavenged did nothing to keep the cold at bay. Body heat was about the only thing that kept them alive, and even that was minimal since they were all slowly starving to death.

The survivors had spent the winter months running. Breaks, food, baths, all of those things were fleeting. There seemed to be not one corner left of the world where they could all simply breath. Finally, a few weeks after that first snow fall, they managed to find something that seemed sturdy enough to hole up in for a few days. It wasn't much at all but it was better than anything they had found yet.

A small three room hunting cabin sat windowless and lonely in a clearing in the woods. The roof was sagging. The porch was falling in on itself. The whole structure seemed to lean to one side but it was something. It was old, constructed of thick logs, making it more durable than a lot of other places they had tried to find refuge in. If walkers came, as long as they were able to secure that one door, they would be safe. They could rest.

This dilapidated little place may as well have been a fortress to the exhausted group. Carol was eager to get inside and see if there was anything of use. The cabin was in rotten condition, sure, but if it was only something that a few men used a few times a year for hunting then it may prove to be in better shape on the inside.

The door was locked with a padlock that didn't look very old and Rick cursed under his breath as he examined it. Without a word Daryl moved in and examined it himself. He grunted and then wordless moved so Rick had no choice but to step back. It was rare for any of them to even speak anymore. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a pin knife. Everyone waited with bated breath, no one wanted to have to break the lock and draw walkers to them.

Carol watched as his dextrous hands went to work and then she heard a collective sigh of relief from the group when it finally popped open. Daryl pocketed the lock and then met Rick's eyes as he brought the bow around and backed up a few steps. Rick threw the door open and Daryl rushed in low, bow at the ready and Rick followed, revolver gripped in one hand and a flashlight in another.

Once the two of them deemed the cabin safe the others hurried inside. The air was still cold inside but it felt warmer just because they were indoors. In the dim glow from Rick's flashlight Carol could make out a long counter that spanned the wall. There was an assortment of items there but she couldn't really make anything out.

Suddenly the room was brightened with a golden glow as a lantern was suddenly lit. Everyone stood there in silence, like they all needed a moment to take in the space. The silence seemed to stretch on so Carol took it upon herself to walk to the counter. It wasn't exactly clean. There was a fine layer of dust on everything but it was obvious that she had been right. This place had, up until the world ended, been used regularly.

There were mason jars lining the back and she pulled a few towards her, her heart thumping heavily in her chest. She was almost to afraid to get her hopes up. She heard the others behind her, speaking in low hushed voices, already figuring out where they would sleep. She ignored them, knowing that she would either be paired with Daryl or she would find a corner. There were two rooms and a narrow loft and to her right there was even a closet sized bathroom. She didn't care at the moment where she would end up sleeping. Right now, she was starving and she knew the others were too.

"What's that?"

Daryl's voice had her jumping in surprise. He was peering over her shoulder, slightly less skittish around her now that they had spent weeks sharing heat. She held up the jar and smiled, her eyes wide. "Rice. There's more here," she motioned to the other jars that were filled with other dried goods. "Dried beans. Flour. Everything's labeled."

He nodded. "I'll get some wood. If I can't find any water we can just melt snow. Just might have to boil it longer."

She nodded and started searching under the counter for some pots. She was scared to death for Lori. She was scared for all of them. Most of the time she felt like her stomach was trying to turn around and devour her spine. Tonight they would have bellies full of food and a roof over their heads. They would be warm. She was so happy that she felt tears sting her eyes. She blinked them back quickly.

~H~

She was clean. She hadn't felt clean in so long that it felt strange. Of course, she hadn't actually gotten to take a real bath but she had been able to stand in a tub and scrub the filth off of herself with warm water. They had all agreed that it would be stupid to waste the opportunity. Everyone was ready to bed down for the night and she found herself glancing around the small room worriedly. There were two tiny rooms off the main room. Glenn and Maggie took one, Lori, Rick and Carl took the other and the others were arranging their blankets near the fireplace.

There wasn't a lot of space for her but she was sure she would find herself a cozy corner. She certainly wasn't about to complain about anything. They had scored beyond their wildest dreams with this little place.

"I called the loft," Daryl said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Figured since I picked the damn lock, I earned it."

She turned her head. She hadn't even realized he was back from his makeshift bath already. "I heard you call the loft. I didn't realize their was one or I would have called it myself," she smiled. "Since I did all the cooking, I thought I had earned it."

He nodded towards the door. "I'm gonna take first watch. You can take your stuff up there if you want."

She frowned. Rick may have claimed to be the man in charge, and so far he was able to make the claim that he had kept them all alive. Carol didn't ever say it but she knew that was a crock. Rick was their self proclaimed leader but she knew that Rick was out for himself and his family and that summed it up. Daryl was the one that stuck his neck out for the group. He was the one risking his life to hunt for them. He was the one that kept Rick's wife fed as best he could. Rick may have been the leader but Daryl was the backbone. Truth be told, without him, not many of them would still be alive, and that included Rick Grimes.

"You shouldn't have to take first watch. You were the one that brought in the wood. You hauled in the water. You should get to have a good nights sleep for once," she said, her voice low and the anger barely concealed.

He raised a brow at her. "I will. As soon as I come in from watch." Without another word he left.

She worried about him. She had worried about him since the farm but she didn't dare say anything. His temper, though a lot more mellow than it used to be, made her nervous. She was stronger than she had been before but that fear wasn't something that she could shake easily. She had seen him angry. She had taken the brunt of that anger and had been sure that he would hurt her.

And he had.

He hadn't laid a hand on her that night on the farm but his words had left wounds in her that still didn't seem healed. She caught him watching her sometimes, his eyes filled with something like regret, and knew that if he could he would take back the words he had cut her with. But that was the thing about words versus fists. Bruises heeled eventually but words had claws and teeth and venom that could poison a person.

She didn't blame him for it. She had simply pushed him too far. Besides, that seemed to have happened a lifetime ago instead of months, but she couldn't keep herself from remembering every bitter word he'd spat at her that night. He had made up for that ten fold, though and she refused to hold a grudge against him.

She stood up, shaking those memories and shouldering her bag before climbing the ladder. He was sweet for offering her the spot he had claimed for himself but she was sure he would wake her up and send her packing once he was back inside. With the fire blazing below they wouldn't need each other for heat. There was no reason for her to stay in the loft with him.

She wasn't sure what the owners had used this space for but it wasn't big enough for even a twin sized bed. She smiled when she saw his bag tossed into the corner. She fixed up a makeshift bed and curled up on her side like she did every night. When she realized that she wasn't freezing she stretched out and smiled to herself. No fetal position to conserve body heat tonight.

She was surprised when it took her a while to fall asleep. It actually bothered her when she realized exactly what the problem was. The problem was, she was alone. She had spent so much time sleeping with Daryl's body timidly wrapped around her own that now she was finding it hard to sleep at all. After tossing and turning for a while exhaustion finally won out and she drifted off into a fitful sleep.

~H~

What was probably a few hours later she was snapped awake by a muttered curse and then an extremely cold man slipping under the one blanket that she had used to cover up with. She was using his to sleep on. She sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She really didn't want to go down there and find another spot to sleep but she wasn't going to ask him if she could stay.

"Lay back down, damn it. I'm freezin' to death," he said, tugging at the blanket that had fallen to her waist.

She wasn't about to argue with him. She laid back down quickly and then scowled when her bare arm brushed against his. He was right. His skin was cold but he pulled the blanket up around his shoulders. He would warm up soon.

"You feel like a furnace," he mumbled, moving his arm so it was pressed against hers.

She smiled. "You feel like a block of ice."

"We usually both feel like a block of ice," he whispered.

She took in a deep breath, trying to summon up some courage and maybe wrap an arm around him to try to warm him up but the thought of him recoiling from her would have been to big a blow to her fragile self esteem. Instead she rolled over, putting her back to him like she did every night. She was sure that he would stay on his back, since he didn't need to be very close for heat at the moment.

He brazenly rolled over, one arm going around her in a familiar way, and his body molding to hers. She could hear his teeth chattering against the back of her neck and, despite her surprise, she laughed quietly. It had been so long since she had laughed that the action startled her back into silence.

"The hell are you laughin' at?" He asked, his arm tightening around her as his whole body shivered.

"I'm just used to me being the one that's complaining about the cold."

He snorted and she jumped when his cold nose pressed against her neck. "I ain't heard you complain about anything."

"Oh, I complain about everything all the time but I just make sure to keep it in my head. No need in bothering everyone else with it."

"None of the other women seem to mind bitchin' about everything," he mumbled.

She smiled. This was nice. He seemed to be thawing out physically and he was actually speaking words instead of grunting at her. "You don't seem to mind bitching either."

"'Course not. All you assholes were in here, warm and asleep. I was the only one freezin'."

"You're right. You just keep on complaining all you want. You've earned it."

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm done."

She sighed. "This is nice." The words left her mouth before she thought about them. Saying something like that was probably grounds for getting kicked out. She didn't need to be this close to him and if he started over thinking it then he was likely going to get uncomfortable and then he was going to tell her that she could go ahead and go on downstairs.

She could have sworn she heard him swallow hard but then she felt him nod. "Yeah, it is."

She cleared her throat. "Thank you for hauling in all that water so we could get cleaned up."

"Got sick of smellin' you."

She slapped the hand that he had pressed against her stomach. "That's an awful thing to say. Out of the two of us you smell the worst. The only reason I smell at all is because I get your stink on me at night." She was grinning and it felt strange on her face. She rolled over onto her back.

He didn't move other than to readjust his head. "We need to get to sleep. Never know how long we'll be able to stay here. Anything could happen."

Her smiled died and she nodded. "I know. I've been trying not to think about that. Now days you just have to live in the moment if you catch a good one. Tomorrow is further away than it used to be."

He finally rolled onto his back and folded his hands behind his head. After a wile she knew that he was asleep. His proximity and the familiar comforting sound of his deep even breathing began lulling her back to sleep. Before she was pulled all the way under she rolled to her side, facing him, and draped her arm low over his stomach. She smiled sleepily when she realized that her hand was touching skin. When he had raised his arms his shirt had ridden up.

A small sound bubbled up from his throat then, almost sounding like a question. She opened her eyes and tried to study his face in the dark but she couldn't see much. All she could really make out was that his eyes were closed. She wasn't sure what brought it on. Maybe it was because it had been so long since she had felt so human. The ever present hunger was gone. She was so warm that the blanket was barely pulled up over their hips. No, there was no pinpointing the exact reason why but she was suddenly filled with an overwhelming urge to simply make him feel good.

She blinked in surprise as her fingers played over his skin. Trailing through the sparse hair that would lead her to the button on his pants. She knew him much better than she had before but she didn't know what his reaction would be if he knew the thoughts that were running through her mind. He had never dropped any hints that he was attracted to her. He had never flirted. Actually the very thought of this stoic man trying to flirt with anyone nearly made her laugh.

But he was a man. And she was a woman. And God, how many opportunities had they been given just to simply _feel_ something? Before she knew what she was doing her nails dug lightly into his hip bone, dragging back down to the waistband of his pants. His hips rolled up and he groaned but she was sure he was still asleep.

She felt dirty. Like she was some kind of weird psychopath touching some poor unsuspecting man in his sleep. But, asleep or not, he seemed to be enjoying it. Her fingertips dipped lower and again he squirmed under her touch. He muttered something that sounded amazingly like her name and her eyes darted up to study his face. She felt her face flame with embarrassment when she caught site of his sleepy gaze on her.

"Carol?" He whispered, his voice still heavy with sleep. "What the hell are you doin'?"

He sounded confused but not upset and she took this as a good sign. "I don't know," she breathed, but then, like her hand had a mind of it's own, it moved down, over his pants and cupped him. "I'll stop if you want."

His eyes grew wide as he watched her but even if he said he wanted her to stop, the proof was right there under her palm as he started to get hard. Her heart stuttered in her chest and she swallowed, waiting for him to give her permission to keep going. Heat flooded her center when he shook his head slightly and then pushed up into her hand.

He didn't move again. He simply watched her but he frowned slightly when she removed her hand from his crotch. With a hammering heart she sat up and started working on getting his shirt open. Her hands were shaking so hard that it made the job a little difficult but she kept going until she was finally able to push it open.

It wasn't enough to just make him feel good. She wanted him to want it. She wanted him to want _her_. After years of being told that she was no good, that she was worthless, that she was hideous, she had a sudden and all consuming urge to _know_ that he wanted her. She scolded herself harshly and tried to push those feelings away. If she wanted reassurances then she had certainly picked the wrong man.

The beauty of Daryl was, he gave it to you straight. He didn't sugar coat anything. But she couldn't very well ask him out right. It wasn't like she had woken up with his hands exploring her. It was the other way around. She had initiated the whole thing and now she was almost too scared to even move.

Another great thing about Daryl was that he was observant. She knew that it was too dark for him to get a good look at her face but somehow he knew where her mind had gone. Her hand was pressed flat against the center of his chest and his heart started thrumming hard and fast. Suddenly, his hand covered hers and he sat up so fast that she almost yelled in surprise.

"Stop it," he barely whispered before he pulled her closer. She didn't have time to reply because his lips were on hers. There was hunger in the kiss. A raw need that stunned her. She never thought him capable of giving something like this so freely but every insecurity she had been feeling dissolved as his tongue slid against her own. He was stepping way out of his comfort zone for her and she loved him for it. It was one thing for him to lie there and let something happen. It was another thing to open himself up and show her that, to at least some degree, he felt just as much for her.

He dropped back down but he dragged her with him, hauling her on top of him without breaking the kiss. It was her that finally pulled away but it was only to trail her lips down his jaw. She bit his earlobe lightly and was delighted at the sound of a sharp hiss. One of his hands went to her waist when her lips moved down his throat. She gripped his other hand and shoved it over his head.

"Fuck," he breathed when she nipped his chest. He didn't try to touch her again, though. He folded his arms back the way they had been, elevating his head enough so he could watch her descent.

~H~

At first he was pretty sure that he was dreaming. When he had woken up to her hand on his skin he'd been beyond surprised. She had never given the slightest indication that she had wanted him like that. Not that he really put himself out there. Hell, he hadn't realized he'd wanted her until recently, but there was never any time to show it. Not that he ever would have. He'd felt the sting of rejection his whole life. He wasn't good enough for his own parents to love so why the hell would some woman?

As far as feelings went, he had no idea what was in her head. He'd saw the indecision just a minute ago, though. She had her own hang ups and he hadn't been able to stomach the thought of her feeling like she wasn't good enough for him. He felt like that enough for both of them.

What a goddamn pair they made.

But she had only needed the slightest nudge and now her teeth was grazing his hip bone and he was sure he almost came right then and there. He wanted to touch her but she had made it clear to him that this was her game. He was just suppose to be a silent spectator and fuck if he wasn't willing to be whatever the hell she wanted him to be at the moment.

When her hands finally started working his belt open he almost pushed her away long enough to get it done himself. Instead he bit his bottom lip harshly and waited for her to do... well, he wasn't sure what she was going to do but he knew that it would involve something that would feel goddamn incredible.

Once his pants were open something happened. The low glow from the fire below filtered up through the slats in the banister, giving off enough light for him to see her eyes from her position. When her eyes raised, meeting his, he saw it. There wasn't a trace of the quiet mousy thing he had grown so fond of over the last few months. This woman was different. A stranger really and his pulse quickened when she licked her lips. She had a look about her, like she was only seconds away from devouring him alive. The thrill it gave him had his dick throbbing painfully.

She jerked at his pants and he lifted his hips obediently, making the chore as easy as he could and then she gripped him hard, running her warm hand over his shaft from head to hilt. It was almost embarrassing, the way his hips jerked up into her hand. He wanted to play it cool but the truth was, his body was taking on a mind of it's own and all he could do was watch.

"Holy crap," she muttered, working her hand back up. He wasn't sure what the fuck holy crap meant, and didn't even really care as long as it meant she was going to keep touching him. And he soon learned that that was exactly what she had in mind. She dropped her head and suddenly he felt her mouth on him.

"Fuckin' Christ," he choked as quietly as he could. This was the last thing he expected. He'd been hoping for a hand job but goddamn, this was way fucking better than a hand job. He could give _himself_ a damn hand job. This was... His eyes rolled back when she hummed her approval in the back of her throat.

As much as he wanted this to last, he knew there was no way in hell he was going to be able to make that happen. Her nails bit into his hip and that was about all he could take. He couldn't find his voice so he tapped her shoulder. She didn't stop though and he tried to shove her away gently but she tightened her hand and sped up her motions with her mouth.

No. Fucking. Way.

He bit down harder on his lip and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He'd tried to warn her but she wouldn't listen. She better not give him any shit when it was over cause he'd tried. A hot flash of pleasure slammed the wind out of him. Without thinking about anything but the intensity of his orgasm his hand went to the back of her head and he guided her head down further. That was when she instinctively swallowed, causing her throat to constrict around his head. His shoulders pressed into the floor and he forced down a growl that threatened to erupt.

When it was over he felt bad and moved his hand. He shouldn't have done that. She'd been man handled enough. He raised up on his elbows as she worked his pants back up his hips. He ran a hand through his hair and then worked on catching his breath. "Sorry," he whispered.

Her head snapped up at that and he blinked in surprise when she flashed him a grin. "I've never been good at that," she breathed, her eyes bright.

He shook his head. "Somebody lied. You're goddamn good at that."

She bit her lip and then finally moved out from between his legs, lying down on her back. "I think someone is up down there. I heard the door."

He glanced over at her as she pulled the blanket up. Did she seriously think that this was over? He scowled. Sure, he was out for the count for the moment but when would they get a chance to do anything like this again? Hell, knowing them, they would be so goddamn awkward in the morning that it may not happen again for a year.

"You should probably try to keep quiet then," he whispered, tossing the blanket to the side and coming up on his knees.

She raised up on her elbows then, her wide eyes meeting his, almost panicked. "You don't have to do anything. That isn't why I-"

Her voice trailed off when he huffed out a breath and then he was hovering over her, bracing himself on his arms. His lips met hers firmly, cutting off any more protests. He wasn't the most experienced guy in the world. He'd been with women before but none he'd ever given a damn about. He'd never gone out of his way to make them like it. He would actually be a little nervous if he'd never gotten to meet Ed. But he knew he had more up his sleeve than that uptight woman beater had. So he was actually damn eager to get this started.

He raised back up and grabbed her by the ankle. Pulling so he was situated between her legs but was still on his knees. Before he had a chance to make a go for her pants she hurriedly undid them and lifted her hips so he could pull them off.

His mind drew a complete blank as his heart started pounding hard in his chest once he had her pants tossed over in the corner. He wasn't sure how to do this. Well, that wasn't true. He knew what to do but he didn't know how to do this with her. He wasn't gentle and he wasn't as sure of himself as other men were. He had no idea if he could pull this off and this made him a nervous wreck. Why had he been so certain just five seconds ago and now he was fumbling?

~H~

She could see the indecision in his eyes and it caused her to panic. She wasn't sure if he was simply returning the favor without actually wanting to do it or if he was just freezing up on her. Either way, they couldn't just stay like this, looking at each other awkwardly. She scrambled up onto her knees in front of him.

Once she was in front of him he seemed to relax and suddenly his hands went to her waist, pulling her until she was flush against him. Her hands went to his shoulders and pushed the tattered shirt down in arms. Meeting his eyes in the scarce light she was surprised to find that his were filled with ancient insecurities. She wanted them gone.

"I don't know what the fuck I'm doin'," he whispered, his rough hands running up her thighs, under her shirt and around her back.

She knew what he meant. It wasn't that he didn't know how to be with a woman. He simply didn't know how to be with her. He had as many hang ups as she did and she despised it. Despised the fact that there was a time that someone, or maybe more than one person, had made him feel less than what he was. Someone had broken him down into pieces and he struggled with this silently, every day.

She understood this better than maybe anyone else ever could. She pressed her lips to the hollow between his collar bones. "Do you know that most of us would be dead already if not for you?" She whispered, raising her head and meeting his eyes again.

He frowned, shook his head and opened his mouth to try to deny it but she pressed her finger to his lips. He grew still, watching her curiously. His hands were still against the skin of her back. Her own hands traced the contours of his chest and then she kissed the side of his throat.

"You do more for this group than anyone else. You watch out for all of us. You work twice as hard as everyone else," she went on.

He shook his head again but she grabbed the sides of his face with her hands, stilling him.

"You don't give yourself enough credit. No one does. You're strong and you're selfless and you have no idea how incredibly beautiful you are, inside and out. I'll never understand how you can't see that."

He narrowed his eyes, studying her, maybe looking for deceit but he wouldn't find any. She meant every word she had just said and she prayed silently that he would take a little of it to heart. Before she could say anything else his lips were on hers, cutting off anything else she might say. But there was so much more she could have.

He moved quickly and she found herself on her back, his lips trailing down her jaw. He was working her shirt up, apparently over his moment of panic. She helped him as much as she could but she was pinned beneath him. His movements were clumsy but he was finally able to pull it over her head.

He wasn't clumsy after that. The feel of his skin against hers had her body and her mind spinning away from her and she pushed up into him, chasing that friction that would bring her some kind of release. His head dipped low, his tongue leaving a wet trail down the center of her chest before he moved over sharply, his hot breath blowing over her exposed breast before he caught her nipple gently between his teeth.

She gasped, arching into him as an electric jolt shot through her. Her fingers tangled into his hair, gripping hard and anchoring him in place. Already he was proving to be a more attentive lover than she was used to. When he moved so he was on his knees again she made a desperate sound in the back of her throat and she was surprised when he laughed quietly. She didn't think it was very funny at all. His body pressing into her center had felt amazing and now...

Now his hand was moving down her body as his head moved over, his mouth seeking out her other breast. That wondering hand dipped between her obscenely splayed legs and suddenly his lips were on hers again, cutting off a surprised cry as he explored her.

Her hands slid from his hair to his shoulders, her blunt nails digging into the hard muscle there. She kissed him harder when he finally pushed two fingers into her. He broke the kiss and growled into her neck and then his thumb grazed the bundle of nerves, causing her to lift her hips further into his hand.

"Jesus, you really want this, don't you," he breathed into her ear as his fingers moved into her a few more times. "You're fuckin' soaked already." The timbre of his voice caused goosebumps to break out over her skin and she was barely aware of the fact that he didn't sound the least bit insecure anymore. But he did sound a little surprised.

She made a discouraged sound when suddenly he removed his fingers and sat up, leaving her completely exposed. She glared at him but then felt her eyes grow impossibly wide as his fingers went to his mouth. Her own mouth dropped open. And then she saw something that she hadn't ever seen before.

He grinned.

A wide grin that pinned her to the floor. And then suddenly his head was between her legs, pushing them wider and his tongue was moving into her. Both of her hands flew to her mouth, covering it quickly as her hips pushed forward on their own volition. His tongue was wide and long and swirled within her, drinking her down. Her heart was so loud she worried that someone down stairs was going to hear it and come up to see if she was okay.

He moved up, tasting her fully with the flat of his tongue until he found his target and sucked deeply. Her eyes slammed shut and her body shook as he went to work on her. Her breaths were coming quick and shallow as his mouth devoured her. Her orgasm didn't come on slowly. It slammed into her hard and fast and she tried desperately to endure it silently but even with her hands covering her mouth, she wasn't silent.

Her body became something foreign to her as her muscles trembled pitifully under his skillful movements. When she finally came down he raised up, his hands quickly shoving at his pants even as he moved over her. Apparently what she had done to him earlier wasn't enough and she was glad because if this was over now, she would have wanted to weep. She needed to feel him inside of her.

~H~

He was so far out of his fucking head that he almost scared himself. As soon as he was able to get his pants kicked off she was pulling his face down, kissing him hungrily. She'd always been so meek, so quiet, that seeing her like this was a jolt to his system. Her words from earlier still echoed in his head and it was a heady experience to feel this way. He knew it wouldn't last long but at the moment, he felt good about who he was. He felt good about what he had become when the world very well could have turned him into a monster.

And she was squirming under him, making a frustrated sound in her throat because he was still holding back as he tried desperately to work out some of the thoughts rushing through his head. It was so strange, this desperation, because she was desperate for _him_. Like he was some kind of prize.

"Daryl, please," she breathed when he finally broke the kiss.

He finally moved, taking his time, pushing into her slower than necessary because he wanted to feel all of her for as long as he could. Her nails dug into his forearms where she was gripping him and her head fell back onto the floor with a dull thud. His jaw clenched and he forced back a groan as her body yielded to his own. He wasn't sure exactly what he had been expecting. He knew it was going to feel good but he hadn't known that they would fit together so perfectly.

He knew that they had to be quiet so when he started moving within her he kept his pace even, almost painfully slow. He didn't want to though. He wanted to make her scream his name. He wanted to fuck her stupid. That's what he wanted to do. Without thinking he had picked up his pace and he could tell that she was getting close. He was surprised actually. Usually he was finished and gone before a woman had a chance to even think about getting off.

He wasn't going to be that guy with her though. Actually, as her arms wound around his neck and her legs wrapped around him, pulling him in deeper than before, he felt a rush of heat engulf him and a slow tremble deep inside. He cursed, raising his head so he could watch her face. Her breath left her in a rush and then she pulled his face down, cutting off her own cry, moaning desperately into his mouth.

He had mistakenly assumed that this was going to last a lot longer, considering he'd already gotten off, but the intensity of her orgasm had him struggling for breath. She gripped him harder, her muscles contracting around him as she came. "Fuck," he growled, quite loudly, as his own release rocked him forward.

She shushed him quickly. He was beyond caring if anyone heard at the moment though. He would let that bother him when it was over. When he finally stilled he dropped his head to her chest, his arms giving out. Her heart thundered under his ear and her fingers raked through his hair.

It was a strange feeling. Like physical overload. Sure, he'd just had sex with her, but there was a point to that. This was just him enjoying the feel of another human being so close. He didn't want to move away just yet and it didn't seem like she wanted him to.

~H~

She wasn't ready for this to be over. She wasn't ready for him to pull away and become the Daryl that she was used to. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to move just yet though and that was okay with her. She was stunned at how... _good_ it had been. But once he pushed past the second guessing himself, he was fine.

Now she was scared of him pulling away, and not stopping. On cue he finally sighed heavily and raised back up on his arms before rolling off of her, pulling the blanket up to his waist. She scurried under it too, feeling much to exposed at the moment.

She sat up, holding the blanket to her chest and glanced around for her shirt. She reached for it but suddenly he grabbed her arm and gave it a hard yank. She was hoping he would have that reaction. It was the only confirmation she needed. For now, things were okay. She moved so her head was on his chest, her arm draped over his stomach. Her bones felt like jello and her eyes were heavy. She was exhausted.

She fell asleep quickly after that, his fingers sliding back and forth over her side. It was the most content she had been in years. She didn't dwell on what tomorrow may bring. She wasn't going to let anything ruin this borrowed moment. She was sure that things between them would be different after this, but that didn't have to be a bad thing. Not everything out there was aimed to hurt her. Least of all him. At the moment, he was actually her safe haven. And she had a feeling that maybe she was his.


End file.
